Skrell
Skrell (skrel) are a species of amphibious humanoids, distinguished by their gelatinous appearance and head tentacles. Skrell come from the world of Qerrbalak, a humid planet with plenty of swamps and jungles. Currently more technologically advanced than humanity, they emphasise the study of the mind above all else. Additional Information: Qerrbalak, the Skrellian home world. Harr'qac, Qerrna-Lakirr and many others, Skrellian colonies. Mechanics * Skrell have their own language which can be used in game by typing say ":k * Given the way Skrell name themselves on human stations, it is unadvised to use the random name generator to name your Skrell. * Headwear can be uncomfortable, but their head tails do not prevent them from wearing most equipment on their head. However, they are not able to wear non-Skrell hardsuit helmets. * Skrell are similar to humans in most ways, and have little physical disadvantages or advantages compared to them. * Alcohol and animal proteins are poisonous to Skrell. * Skrell are able to breathe underwater. However, this is not usually used in space. Overview Naming Skrell names either consist of chosen human names or rough translations, due to their language being something humans cannot vocalize. The translations appear to vary widly when converted to galactic common, so there is a wide variety of names possible. Biology Skrell appear gelatinous, but are opaque, with moist pliant skin covered in a layer of slime. Skin color largely varies, as Skrell come in many different colors, much like dart frogs and salamanders might. This includes colors such as black, red, green, blue, pink, purple, orange, teal, etc. Where a nose would be on a human are slits. Their eyes are completely black making judging emotion by the eyes alone very difficult. They are able to see better underwater, and slightly better in darkness. Their hands and feet are similar to humans, with five fingers and toes, however, they are slightly webbed. The main distinction of the Skrell are their three large head tails. They are are limp tails, not tentacles, meaning they cannot control them. Essentially, they act like hair that is fleshy. They serve two purposes, one of which is exclusive to females. The first is that the spaces in between each tail is used as an area to store egg sacs, due to the fact it is dark and moist in that area. Wise females often find another area to store their eggs during mating season, due to the fact that if a tadpole were to hatch, they would fall from the tails and land on the floor, leaving the tadpole unable to move unless in water. It is advised by NT for a Skrell crew member to either obtain a bucket of water or to acquire the use of an unused Hydroponics tray, as the toilets are unsanitary. The second use is one that is used by both males and females, in that they are used to impress, often through various paints and jewellery applied to the tails. These tails are usually the same colour as the skin, and are translucent. Their brains are similar to frog or salamander brains evolved to the same level as human brains, and are compatible with most Nanotrasen technology. Average height of Skrell range from 5'10" to 6'0" for males and 6'0" to 6'2" for females. Birth and Reproduction Skell have no external reproductive organs and fertilisation is done by males on eggs. After fertilisation, a single Skrell usually gives birth to around 50 tadpoles at one time. Due to their weak immune systems, only five usually make it to maturity. While these tadpoles are not officially considered children, most Skrell find the idea of killing them deliberately offensive. The Skrell are non-monogamous, prefering a large panel of sexual partners for the purpose of reproduction. As such, the notion of human-like marriage is barely fit for them, although some Skrellian colonies, closer to the human territories, are slowly adopting the idea of monogamy. However, the need for a family structure still exists, leading to another form of union, that the Skrell call Bonding. Instead of forming a constant familial structure to which offsprings will automatically be attached, Skrell make a punctual Bonding when a couple produces a litter to attach the children to this couple, making them, in effect, a family. This allows legal and social recognition of the progeny by both parents while letting them explore other reproductive opportunities. The parents rarely staying together after the Bonding, one of them is designed as the Qarr-Maqa, the main parent, responsible for the children, while the other becomes the Qrri-Maqa, who has more of a support role, helping financially the Qarr-Maqa among various types of material help. Relations between two litters who share one or both parents are quite distant : At best, they will see each other as something akin to cousins, but generally, they will tend to simply ignore each other, only to meet during large family meetings. On a legal point, however, they do not share any kind of link but the same parent(s). A traditionnal Skrellian family is composed of: * The Qarr-Maqa, as explained earlier. The main parent figure, tutor and caretaker of the children. * The Qrri-Maqa, secondary parent figure, financial and material support. On an emotional/relational standpoint, they might be compared to a human uncle/aunt. * The Qarr-Baqa, brothers and sisters from a same Bonding. Skrell not having as many various familial members as humans, the Qarr-Baqa often share stronger bonds than human brothers and sisters. * The Qrri-Baqa, children from another Bonding of one or both the parents. Generally having no or almost no contact with each other, their role in the family is non-existent. * The Maqa’lak, Qarr-Baqa of one of the parents. While being free of any kind of responsibility toward the children, they fill the same emotional niche than the Qrri-Maqa. They do not need the prefix "Qarr-" before their names, for a "Qrri-Maqa’lak" would be so distant from the family that it doesn’t need to exist as a concept. Gender Differences It is extremely difficult for most non-Skrell to tell the gender of a Skrell from appearance alone, as body shape and general appearance does not change between them. Female Skrell usually talk in a higher register, though this is not a fool-proof way of telling. The most noticeable difference is that a females headtails are longer than a male's, though the difference can be difficult to tell for non-Skrell crew. To Skrell, gender has no real meaning, except for the process of reproduction. Lifespan Normal life expectancy for most Skrell is 100 human years. Through technological enchancements, some may live till about 135 years old. 20 years old is considered an adult. A Skrellian year is 1.5 human years. Language The Skrell language can be best described as a series of hums, warbles, or croaks, while they would not make sense to other species it can display a wide variety of emotion and meaning that English cannot. With other languages such as Sol Common, Skrell take on the accent of the person who taught them the language. Skrell have trouble expressing emotion through simple words and body language when speaking in Sol Common or Galactic Common to a lesser extent, but are capable of expressing emotion better then a human would if they were to sing or play an instrument due to their use of tone when speaking their native language. However, how different emotions are expressed between different species often differ. Skrellian written language is, similarly to the spoken language, hard to understand for a non-Skrell. Based on logograms, it contains thousands of different signs, leading to vocal homonyms only differentiated by small variations in the tone and the pitch of the speaker. In practice, however, someone wishing to have a non-specialized, common conversation in Skrellian can reduce this number to around three hundreds words, the rest of them being related to precise parts of Skrellian society, sometimes to a caste, sometimes to more restrained groups (the psychiatric vocabulary, for example, contains itself four hundreds different words, which would bear no utility in unrelated conversations). Should the non-Skrell learner overcome these first difficulties, they would be confronted to a much deeper problem, which is the influence of feelings in Skrellian written language. Indeed, no clear punctuation can be observed in a Skrellian text : the rythm, intent and sometimes, the sense itself of a word is conditioned by the way it is written. The last word of a sentence might be indicated by a sharp logogram, whose extremities are prematurely ended, in the case of a formal text or an argumentative one, while in a more sentimental context, or perhaps to express doubt, the same character would be elongated, slowly fading on the same extremities. Skrell experiencing a far more range of feelings that most species, some texts might even become impossible to translate to someone unable to understand those feelings. This particular method of writing made Skrellian literature extremely different from its human equivalent. More than a text to be read, it is also a delight to the eye, should the reader know where to look. It is not unheard of experimental writers who completely abandon the semantic aspect of literature to completely focus on the visual aspect, trying to tell their stories only through feelings rather than using traditional narrative methods. Racial Slurs towards Skrell include 'Frog', 'Salamander', 'Squid head', and various other amphibious creatures. Skrell are typically not very offended by such remarks. Diet The preferred food of the Skrell is fungi, although they are capable of eating any plantlike substance they come across, where as meat does not agree with their bodies. Due to this, hallucinogenics derived from such plants have a lesser effect on Skrell. They are vegetarians, and like most, they can eat meat, but with some nefast consequences afterwards. They do not gain anything from eating meat. Skrell do not handle alcohol well. At best they get drunk very quickly, and at worst they get very very sick. Relations Generally Skrell are accepting of other species, although they do tend to treat Tajaran and Unathi as though they are children due to their lack of advanced technology. Despite the Skrell having a religion themselves, and their emphasis on science rather than theology, they still accept the faiths of those around them, especially if they are of another species. Job Preferences Due to their scientific nature and study of the brain, Skrell are more likely to adopt Medical or Science jobs. However, they are perfectly capable of filling all job roles, including command roles, but are less likely to. Background The Skrell are a race of amphibious humanoids that are focused culturally in the sciences, attempting science in the name of self improvement in lue of science for money or war. Home Planet Skrell come from the world of Qerrbalak, a planet with a humid atmosphere, featuring plenty of swamps and jungles. The world is filled with Skrellian cities which often sit on stilts. Culture Though a mainly scientific species, Skrell have interest in other forms of culture. Artists are fairly prevelant, as well unique fighting styles from the more physical. Skrellian arts often (but not always) focus on the mind. A recent movement focuses on how the mind interacts with the world around them. History Skrell do not have any outstanding history, they have their wars and their large events that have happened over time but nothing that is overly life-changing. Despite their strive to better themselves with science the meaning of this is often skewed from one Skrell to another, which has led to more recent wars in which one nation disagrees with another on the ways to use science. Within the last ten years there has not been any major conflicts that have arisen within the Skrell nations and a good number of Skrell scientists and doctors have gone to work for human companies and governments, some working alongside them while others use their time as scientists amongst humans to not only research new technologies, but to also observe human culture and biology. Despite their current state of technology, they move slowly in terms of science, being at the state they are currently in since around the earth year 1950, only making slight advances(humans made the same amount of advancement in 50 years). The reasoning for this is that Skrell scientists have their products go through extensive testing and observations, not to mention that a large portion of their scientists decided that once they got the ability to travel from star system to star system that it was time to focus on the mind and so they started to move their studies into the fields of neurology and psychology. When the Skrell finally met humans in space, they started to study the human mind as well, along with other species that traveled with humans, which in turn gave the Skrell much more to work on. Here is a global timeline of their history. The dates have been adapted to the human calendar for more clarity. 800 BCE - The Skrellian Age of Technology and industry begins with the invention of the first Assembly Line. 700 BCE - The first aeroplane is invented. 500 BCE - Skrell kind look to the stars as work on the first Space Shuttle starts. 482 BCE - Skrell kind rejoice as the first successful launch of a Space Shuttle lands Astronaut Q'ikkori Xallic on Qerrbalak's second moon, Qerr'Malic. 100 BCE - The first Skrellian colony is formed on a Qerr'Malic. 1000 AC - Skrell begin exploring outside of their immediate area, establishing colonies and research bases along the way. 2038 AC - Skrell travel to the Epsilon Ursae Minoris and while there, flagged the area for further review due to strange readings. 2132 AC - Skrellian mining fleets discover Dionaea Gestalts in previously mentioned Epsilon Ursae Minoris, it is considered a great discovery among all the castes. 2241 AC - Skrell Space Fleets make first contact with an alien race, The Kharmaani, War erupts and many Skrell die in the ensuing battles. 2406 AC - While on a scouting mission, Skrellian exploration vessels come across a human station badly damaged and entering a meteor belt. The Skrellian vessel moves in to assist, shielding the station from harm by way of their shields. First contact with humanity is made. 2411 AC - Trade and Research agreements among Skrell and humanity are formed, a lasting bond is formed. 2478 AC - After hundreds of years of off and on again wars, Skrell and Kharmaani governments come to a fragile agreement, Peace is known again among the Skrell. 2520 AC - Varr'qalan begin their first exodus, arriving at Qerrbalak that same year. 2522 AC - Varr'qalan are banished from Qerrbalak by the Qerr'Katish. Castes One of the main pillars of skrellian society, the caste system has been in place for millennia on Qerr’balak, its current form having stabilized around the 3rd millennium BCE. While the countless city-states of skrellkind display all kind of variations around the model, most still follow the main structure established by their ancestors. However, new social structures are being adopted by colonies on the outskirts of the skrellian territories, more particularly near the human border. The caste model appeared as a solution to the growing skrellian need for efficiency within their society. By immersing the Skrell in various environments shaped to specific needs, goals and values, the castes were able to form generations of specialized Skrell, whose skills and activities grew in harmony along their values and traditions. As such, castes act as subcultures within the main skrellian culture, conditioning a Skrell’s life from birth to death and passing it along their children. A common mistake to do when considering the castes is their relations with professions. While a caste most certainly drive Skrell towards specific sectors of activity, the borders between them are tenuous at best, and a same job can be undertaken by several castes, with different emphasis depending on the originating caste. A good example would be architecture: Kanin-Katish and Talum-Katish are both very fit for such an activity, the former with a strong focus on practicality and safety, while the latter would rather concentrate on aesthetics and cultural importance to the work. Management is also another example: While a specialty of the Qerr-Katish, it is not unheard of Skrell from other castes being promoted to them after years of work in a specific sector of work (a researcher might, for example, gradually rise in status until being given responsibility of a research team, followed by a research center). Further proof that the castes are more of a way of life rather than a predetermined path that every Skrell must follow without an inch of deviation. * Qerr-katish (High-cast) : Considered as the leaders of Skrellkind, the Qerr-Katish are the face and soul of skrellian society. Managers, diplomats, lawyers, they are notably the only caste allowed to fulfill the role of Qerr-Skria, and the only one forbidden from being appointed to the Xaq Moglar. As the representatives of the Skrell, the Qerr-Katish are highly social beings, sophisticated, cultured and very organized. As defenders of their society’s values, they tend to be rather conservative, although progressive ideas regularly grow within the caste, as a stagnant society is a dying society. Considering their role, they generally are the richest people of a City-State, although their money is generally invested in various endeavors both within and outside of skrellian society. Qerr-Katish families tend to be rather small, being generally limited to one, sometimes two bondings. They often dress in clothing made from softer, shinier materials, long and flowing and has often been compared to the clothing of ancient Chinese nobles by human scholars. They skin is generally bright green. * Malish-katish (Caste of the Mind) : If the Qerr-Katish are the face of the Skrell, the Malish-Katish are the brain. Scientists of all sorts, researchers, scholars, they are the ones who allow skrellian society to grow, be it technologically or ideologically. Highly inquisitive, they are among the more progressive and individualists Skrell. They are, however, not very social, and their emphasis on rational thinking make them less capable of being under pressure and handling their feelings in public. Although they are less wealthy than the Qerr-Katish, their usefulness allows them much comfort and position in skrellian society. Their families are generally made up of two or three bondings, frequently from different partners. People within this caste often wear clothing made from the same materials as the Qerr-katish yet more simplified, white shirts and black pants with possible jewelry for decoration. Their skin is generally pale green, sky blue or pale yellow. * Kanin-Katish (Caste of the Builder) : The main workforce of the Skrell. While their population has decreased over the millennia of technological progress, the Kanin-Katish are still a very respected caste of skrellian society. With activities ranging from goods production to countless services, they occupy the largest and most diversified sector of skrellian activity. The Kanin-Katish are a very tightly knit community, both within their families and with their co-workers, with a strong mental and physical resilience. Very traditional, they hold rather conservative views on the world, and their pack mentality dampens most individualistic thoughts. Their families are frequently large, three or four bondings, generally with a couple of partners, which does not leave them much in terms of money. The Kanin-Katish are among the less wealthy people of skrellkind, but they do not seem to mind, as their work is the life and blood of skrellian civilization. Their clothing is made to last, the personality of the Skrell often being shown through arm bands or headtail decorations of any kind. Their skin is generally red, organge, pale yellow, dark orange or black. * Talum-Katish (Caste of the Artist) : Considering the Skrell’s emphasis on functionality and practicality, one would be mistaken to think they do not consider arts much. This very important sector of skrellian society is handled by the Talum-Katish, artists, aesthetes and entertainers. They complete the Qerr-Katish’s role as representatives of skrellkind, although in a different way. As such, they are often mistaken for Qerr-Katish themselves, which might explain why this caste is generally seen as rarer and less celebrated than the others, while they are in fact frequently on the public scene. The Talum-Katish are the most individualistic members of skrellkind, although once again, they share the Qerr-Katish’s taste for a busy social life. Highly cultivated, they are the free-thinkers of Skrellian society, often at odds with the more traditionalist and conservative castes. An heterogeneous lot, it is hard to estimate their global financial capacities, they however tend to reproduce a lot, multiplying their encounters with various partners, which might be a strain on their savings. Their clothing is often an odd mix of Qerr-Katish and Malish-Katish, as they often wear clothing that are colourful shirts, adorned with embroidery and their headtails sparkling with gold. Their skin is generally purple, blue, pink, orange, red or white. * Raskinta-Katish (Caste of Warriors) : Rarely seen outside the skrellian society, the Raskinta-Katish are however recognized and respected by their entire species, for they are the ones who ensure the safety and stability of skrellian civilization, both against internal and external threats. The military caste of the Skrell, most end up working for the various city-states, either in the police or as a career soldier, although some of them end up working for private security or as entertainment fighters. They are very conservative, almost reactionary, and deeply committed for their community, caring very little for self-development and personal satisfaction. Their martial training leaves very little time for more intellectual activities, although they are trained to be expert tacticians and are only beaten by the Qerr-Katish in terms of organizational skills. While they are wealthier than the Kanin-Katish overall, they are still among the poorer castes of skrellkind, and their large families of three or four bondings put a heavy strain on their earnings, only compensated by their strong social cohesion. These are often the hardest to spot among a crowd because they intentionally wear clothing other castes are known for while off duty, however they tend to stick to clothing that is easy to move in and are often dark blue. Their skin is generally green, blue, black, brown or yellow. Politics Skrellian society is built around a concept in some parts similar to human constitutional monarchies : In the Qerr-Katish caste can be found several royal families, whose power is transmitted to the progeny having passed the most successfully the Qerr-Uglo, a series of tests. A skrellian King, called a Qerr-Skria usually rules over a city, although there are traces of Kings having ruled over several, sometimes extending their realm to the size of a human country; Those Kings were called Emperors, or Qrri-Qerria in Skrellian. Those are generally remembered negatively by the Skrell, for it is considered a King with too much territory cannot rule efficiently. The King holds the executive and judiciary power. They are advised by the Qerr-Koal, members of each caste who have been considered wise enough to intervene more actively in politics. It is rare to see a Qerr-Koal under the age of 90, even if age does not come into account when deciding to celebrate a caste member as one. There is no limit to the number of Qerr-Koal, although a King must be at least accompanied by one of each caste. The success of a King is measured by their ability to listen to the Qerr-Koal around them. The legislative power is held by the Xaq Moglar, a congregation of the members of the city’s Academy Education Skrellian education is the basis of Skrellian society. Tadpoles are educated by their parents and interaction with the other Tadpoles of their Bonding. When a Skrell enters their “adult” shape, they first enter the first level of academic life, called by the Skrell the Mi-Gloa, the Early Enlightenment. At this point, they learn the basic logical process, elementary sciences such as mathematics and low-level physics, and have a brief teaching about Skrellian history. All the Castes share the same lessons, except for the Qerr-Katish, who are taught apart from the rest of society. At the age of 8, the Skrell leave the Mi-Gloa and enter the Qlor-Gloa, the Focused Enlightenment, where the different Castes are separated in different paths of teaching. Here again, the lessons are generalist and leave plenty of specialization to be done later. When they reach the age of 15, the Skrell chose the path that will determine their future work : They enter the Keri-Gloa, the Ongoing Enlightenment, for it is believed a Skrell never truly stops learning from that point. From there, a Skrell, called a Keri-Glo’i as long as they are in this system, can leave the Keri-Gloa at the age of 18, which means they will be a Qrri-Mog, a low-class worker, taught but not truly enlightened, or at the age of 25, making them a Qerr-Mog, a fully-fledged Skrellian mind, expert in their area of work. Only the “Qerr-Mog” can hope to one day become Qerr-Koal, experts of their castes and counsellors to their King. But, apart from the educational purpose, Skrellian Academies also are the heart of Skrellian politics: They bear the same purpose than human Parliaments, with a few differences in their exact nature. Members of the Academy are not elected : They follow a strict organization based on the position of the Skrell in the educational part of the Academy. The Keri-Glo’i, the students in the last part of their education, can attend to sessions of the Academy to observe the political process : This way, they can also learn how to properly act as citizens of their Kingdom later in life. Teachers and Professors have the same purpose, having the ability to vote the laws and various projects of the Kingdom, with the difference in their weight : A teacher’s voice is worth one, while a Professor’s voice is worth two. A teacher is called a Qrri-Gloqal, while a Professor is a Qarr-Gloqal. Directors and other leading figures of the Academies often being Qerr-Koal, they do not take part in the legislative part of the Skrellian political life. Military The most common military forces seen in the skrellian territories are the local reserves of each City-State. In charge of the city’s defense, they also fill the role of law enforcement for the government. However, their small numbers coupled with the political independence of every City-State limits their capacity in time of war and general offensives against their enemies. To compensate this issue, the Skrell formed what they call the Skrellian Defense Task Forces. SDTFs are independent entities formed by several City-States who agree to pool an agreed quantity of resources and manpower for their common safety. Once such a group is formed, they gain full independence from their creators, although they are still informally bound to them as they need the City-States to procure them new workers and resources. Private corporations also have a part to play with the SDTFs, as they often pass contracts with them to sell equipment and ships at preferential prices. For the corporations, it is mostly a way to advertise themselves : The prestige of a partnership with a SDTF, along with the fact that such groups only acquire the best equipment, generally means a major boost in sales for them. Unsurprisingly, SDTFs are not ruled by Qerr-Katish, but by a Raskinta-Katish commander. They have, however, their own equivalent of a Qerr-Koal council, in the form of the high officers in charge of the various subsections of the organization. As for the recruitment, City-States provide the SDTFs with voluntaries from their respective City-States after which the military organization evaluates them under various criteria to decide how many of them will actually join the group. There is rarely a lack of volunteers for this task, though, as being a SDTF member entails a lot of advantages over a regular inhabitant of a city: Higher wages than with an equivalent ‘civilian’ job, priority when it comes to healthcare and education for their close family… Members of a SDTF also enjoy multi-citizenship across the various founding cities of the organization, a perk rarely enjoyed in civilian life and good enough to motivate most of the potential recruits. Contrary to what one might expect, the Raskinta-Katish only represent half to three quarters of a SDTF’s manpower. Kanin-Katish generally hold a strong presence in the task forces, but a smaller amount of Malish-Katish can be found working along their more physical brethren. A few Qerr-Katish work as diplomats and managers for the groups, while Talum-Katish are a very exceptional caste to be seen working in them, only for for rare, punctual tasks related to the SDTF’s public image. As for the castes, they take a more complicated shape within the skrellian military; while the main structure remains, they are subsequently divided into subcastes, themselves separated into smaller partitions to ensure every Skrell is performing their duty as a specialized, competent component of a greater machine. The subcastes are divided into the following components: Raskinta-Katish Sub-Castes * Me’kerr-Ketish: Soldiers specialized in boarding operations and fighting in 0G, they are formed to perform lighting strikes, at their best in closed environments. * Me’xoal-Ketish: The ground forces of a SDTF. Contrary to the Me’kerr-Ketish, they are formed for long range combat, patient and thorough in their actions. * Qi’kerr-Ketish: The skrellian space and air forces. Heavily trained into hit and run operations, mostly as a support and diversion for the infantry. * Qi’xoal-Ketish: The ground vehicles of a SDTF, their role is further divided into long range support to the infantry and as a lighting strike force for critical targets. Malish-Katish Sub-Castes * Keloa-Ketish: Mostly fleet-based, this subcaste is in charge of the Research & Development projects of the SDTF, generally working closely with the group’s partners to improve and adapt their technology to the needs of the defense forces. * Toglo’i-Ketish: Technical support for the Raskinta-Katish, these Malish-Katish often accompany them during operations to provide technical and medical support. As such, they often tend to adopt some traits of their military brothers. Kanin-Katish Sub-Castes * Megloa-Ketish: Work in collaboration with the Keloa-Ketish in Research & Development. Their close contact with their intellectual kin tends to make them more inquisitive and individual-minded than the other Kanin-Katish. * Xiqarr-Ketish: Fleet-based, they are in charge of maintaining the SDTF’s fleet and assets. * Goxo’i-Ketish: Similarly to the Toglo’i-Katish, they handle technical support for the Raskinta-Katish, generally accompanying the Qi’xoal-Ketish for vehicle maintenance on the field, but also engaged into demolitions and communications operations along the Qi’xoal-Ketish. The similar mindsets of Kanin-Katish and Raskinta-Katish consequently improve their capacity for cooperation. The Qerr-Katish and Talum-Katish, too few in numbers, do not need and therefore do not have subcastes within the SDTFs. As for the subsequent divisions within the subcastes, they tend to differ from task force to task force, although some global patterns exist (separation of space and air forces within the Qi’kerr-Ketish, artillery and frontline vehicles within the Qi’xoal-Ketish…) Here are a few famous SDTFs found across history: * Qerr’voal: A famous name within the Raskinta-Katish community, the Qerr’voal is the SDTF in charge of defending the Qerr’Vallis system, a task the military group has fulfilled with duty for the last 600 years. Despite the safety and stability of the system, many young Skrell of Qerr’balak and the surrounding colonies try to enter the prestigious organization in hopes to prove themselves worthy to their brethren. * Pol’verria: A SDTF in charge of several systems at the border of the skrellian territories, this particular group is known for spearheading the war against the Kharmaani, putting a heavy strain on the SDTF’s resources. Now far smaller than in its golden days, they are still respected among the systems they protect, and the centuries of warfare against the Kharmaani gave them tactical insight that many other SDTFs would like to acquire. * Qala’oa: Relatively recent, this particular group was funded shortly after the first contact between Skrell and humans. Patrolling several worlds at the border between the two species, this SDTF has, like the colonies it protects, started to slowly adopt human customs and views, for better and for worse. Still growing today, some expect it to become the largest SDTF of the skrellian territories within the next thirty years. Criminality As a millennia-old empire spanning across thousands of star systems, it would be foolish to think the skrellian territories manage to stay free of criminals and illicit organizations. But no group embodies the spirit of skrellian criminality as the Qerr-Glia do. It is difficult to pinpoint a precise date or location for their origins, but most historians agree that this criminal movement started during the War of the Qrri-Qerria on Qerr’balak, the constant power struggles leading many Qerr-Katish families to exile, stripped of their status and power. Some of these families settled in other city-states to rebuild a legitimate life, while the rest turned to whatever activity, legal or illegal, could finance their fight to reclaim their former position. Forming intricate criminal networks across Qerr’balak, the Qerr-Glia gained a consequent advantage when skrellkind started exploring the stars, always settling further from the authorities’ reach, always broadening their criminal horizons. Today, their activities range from money laundering to slave trade, including equally repulsive activities such as drug trade and blackmail. While some families still try to reclaim their lost heritage, most have forgotten about it and have fully embraced the comfort and lifestyle their illicit activities entail. While the Qerr-Glia have at their disposition a very large network of relations and maintain several fragile alliances between various families, their only loyalty resides in their own family. They will temporarily hire anyone competent enough to fulfill their goals, willfully or forcefully, but only the members of the Qerr-Skria family are permanent members of a Qerr-Glia cell. Reciprocally, leaving a Qerr-Glia family is considered a high treason by its members, and any Skrell abandoning their siblings for any reason would find themselves fiercely hunted down by their former brothers and sisters. The Qerr-Glia, however, never forgot their Qerr-Katish heritage and as such, embody the same values and ideals, although in a twisted way; skilled liars and manipulators, they rarely lower themselves to brutal operations, preferring to plan subtle schemes executed with cold efficiency. Some families are even said to manipulate the politics of entire sectors to their benefit, placing them in positions of power far higher than the ones they once fought for. While the skrellian authorities still struggle to contain them, the Qerr-Glia struggle to find new ways of taking profit of the skrellian territories. As such, the encounter of new species, humans in particular, gave them an whole new playing field in which a lot of criminal families threw themselves in. It is not unheard of Qerr-Glia members temporarily joining other criminal organizations as a gesture of goodwill from the family, while already planning on the repayment of the debt tenfold. Religion Xilar Qall Long ago, during the early days of Qerrbalak there lived a race of people, these people were primitive and lived in small groups, gathering what foods they needed and defending each other the best they could. They did this for many, many years, it was what worked for them and they didn't feel the need to do much more. However, one day something strange happened, the sun stopped shining. The people in their confusion looked to the sky and immediately saw what had stopped the sun from shining. A massive, wiggling mass slowly made its way across their sky, the thing was massive and yet no one seemed able to touch it, and as they watched, they heard something. It was faint, at first, but the more they listened the louder it got. A low rumbling.. no, singing, could be heard throughout all the lands as this massive thing floated across their sky, and as soon as it came, it was gone. And so too, was the song, it confused the people as to why this beautiful song had vanished along with the thing in the sky.. and quickly as they could they tried to replicate it... and so they did, but they also made other noises, they found the noises to be pleasing and continued, associating meaning and feeling to each warble that came from their maws. Eventually these people decided together, that they would work towards finding that mass in the sky the best they could, and they began working together in this attempt, even if it was slow going at first, they began to build up, towards the sky. Modern Practices These days, not many Skrell truly believe the story that something massive sang to them and inspired the species to greater things, but a good number still follow the ethics that the religion preaches, that of working together for a greater goal, to find out just how Skrell began and in the long run, the origin of all life and the universe. Ethical Teachings # Keep your eyes to the stars; Originally taken literally, this promotes the idea of always striving to go further and discover more. # Harmony comes from discipline; Strive to be the best that you can but do not forget you have limits # A united society strives; Work together to achieve your goals and trust your peers to do the same for you # Harm only when harmed; Do not actively raise a hand against the innocent # Stay forever inquisitive Holidays Vertalliq-Qerr(Festival of the Royals), Jan 12: A massive festival that celebrates the Qerr-Katish and all they have provided for the rest of Skrell society, it often features colourful displays and skilled performers take this time to show off some of their more fancy displays. Qixm-tes(Day of mourning), March 3rd: A day where Skrell gather at places of worship and sing a song of mourning for all those who have died in service to the empire. Jiql-tes(Day of celebration), May 28th: Similar to our own Christmas, Skrell communities gather for a grand feast and give gifts to friends and close relatives. Qill-xamr(Night of the dead), September 17th: Skrell communities hold parties in order to remember loved ones who passed, unlike Qixm-tes this applies to everyone and is a joyful celebration. Vertalliq-qixim, Nov 22nd: A grand festival in order to celebrate the day when Skrell kind first landed on one of their moons. Relations With NanoTrasen Through a series of peace treaties the Skrell have become close friends with the human race, sharing their technology with human governments. As part of these treaties, Skrell have been slowly moving out of their own corporations and started working for human corporations, both for the money (even Skrell have to feed their families) and in an attempt of good will.